Arthur O'Leary (composer)
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Arthur O'Leary (15 March 1834 – 11 March 1919) was an Irish composer, pianist and teacher.


Biography

O'Leary was born in Tralee, County Kerry, both his father (also named Arthur) and uncle Daniel having been talented musicians, too. Arthur Senior was said to be first cousin to
Arthur Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...
's grandfather in an obituary for O'Leary written by
W. H. Grattan Flood Chevalier William Henry Grattan Flood (baptised 1 November 1857 – 6 August 1928) was a noted Irish author, composer, musicologist, and historian. As a writer and ecclesiastical composer, his personal contributions to Irish music produced endu ...
. When young Arthur's talents were discovered at the age of ten, a visiting barrister, Wyndham Goold became his patron: in May 1844 he sent him to school in Dublin and secured private piano tuition. With financial backing from others, including John Stanford (father of Charles Villiers Stanford), and with letters of introduction from William Sterndale Bennett, O'Leary was able to study at the conservatory in Leipzig, where he arrived in 1847 to study piano (with Ignaz Moscheles), organ, violin, and harmony (with
Julius Rietz August Wilhelm Julius Rietz (28 December 1812 – 12 September 1877) was a German composer, conductor, cellist, and teacher. His students included Woldemar Bargiel, Salomon Jadassohn, Arthur O'Leary, and (by far the most celebrated) Sir Arthur ...
). During this time he was invited several times to musical dinners where he met, besides Moscheles,
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sym ...
and Joseph Joachim. He also attended Mendelssohn's funeral in 1847. Between February 1852 and December 1854 O'Leary studied the piano with
Cipriani Potter Philip Cipriani Hambly Potter (3 October 1792 – 26 September 1871) was an English musician. He was a composer, pianist, conductor and teacher. After an early career as a performer and composer, he was a teacher in the Royal Academy of Musi ...
and
Sterndale Bennett Sir William Sterndale Bennett (13 April 18161 February 1875) was an English composer, pianist, conductor and music educator. At the age of ten Bennett was admitted to the London Royal Academy of Music (RAM), where he remained for ten years. B ...
at the
Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...
(RAM), London. He became an assistant professor at the RAM in 1856 and elected a fellow in 1864, teaching piano and composition. Among his more notable pupils were
Alicia Adelaide Needham Alicia may refer to: People * Alicia (given name), list of people with this name * Alisha (singer) (born 1968), US pop singer * Melinda Padovano (born 1987), a professional wrestler, known by her ring name, Alicia Places * Alicia, Bohol, Phil ...
, Charles Villiers Stanford, and
Arthur Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...
. He also had other teaching positions in London at institutions including the National Training School for Music (from 1876), the Guildhall School (1880–1900), the Crystal Palace School of Science and Art (from 1886), and the Beckenham School of Music (from 1894). He resigned from the RAM and other positions in 1903. He was elected a member of the Philharmonic Society in 1875. O'Leary had married Rosetta Vinning on 5 November 1860 and they had two daughters, Catherine Wyndham and Annette Elizabeth. Annette married Harry Pye, son of Kellow Pye in 1897. Arthur and Rosetta both died in London (Rosetta in 1909), and they are buried in Aghadoe cemetery near Killarney, Ireland. Annette and Harry Pye had one son, Edmund Arthur Pye, born in 1902. He was educated at Epsom College and studied Medicine at Cambridge and St. George's Hospital, London. He married Dorothy Neville in London in 1928, separating after three years, having had one son. Edmund Arthur Pye left his medical career behind after the second world war when, along with his second wife Anne Welsh, he embarked on his better-known career as yachtsman and writer, using the name Peter Pye. His son
Patrick Pye Patrick Pye RHA (1929 – 8 February 2018) was a sculptor, painter and stained glass artist, resident in County Dublin. Pye was born in Winchester, England. He died in Dublin, Ireland. Career Major commissions can be seen across Ireland. I ...
was raised in Dublin by his mother and became an artist.


Selected compositions

Arthur O'Leary's largest work is a symphony performed in London in 1853 and 1864. Although he wrote a number of other orchestral pieces, his main work consists of piano music and songs. Raymond Deane commented: "At the very least, he was a superior drawing-room composer who occasionally touched deeper chords." The following list is based on Fitzsimons (2008), p. 132–6 (see Bibliography below). Orchestral (all unpublished) *Symphony in C major (1853) *Suite (1856) *Piano Concerto in E minor (undated, c.1850s/60s) *Dances (1863). Contains: 1. ''Stamp-Galop''; 2. ''Ducal Waltz''; 3. ''Beethoven-Waltz''. *Pastorale (1865) Piano music *''Rondo grazioso'', Op. 1 (London: Leader & Cock, 1859). *''Zwei Klavierstücke'', Op. 2 (Leipzig: Kistner, 1855). Contains: ''Andante con moto'', ''Scherzo''. *''Overture to Longfellow's Spanish Student'', Op. 3 for piano 4-hands (Leipzig: Kistner, 1855). *''Caprice''/''Overture'', Op. 4 (n.d.) *''There's Nae Luck About the House'', Morceau de concert (London: Lamborn, Cock & Co., 1872). *''The Black Knight''. Romance, Op. 5 (1859) (London: Lamborn, Cock & Co., 1875). *''Im Gebirge. Drei Charakterstücke'', Op. 7 (Leipzig: Kistner, 1860). *''Fête rustique'', Op. 8 (London: Ewer & Co.). *''Fleurs et pleurs'', Op. 9 *''Five Marches with words ad libitum'' (London: Ewer & Co., 1861). *''The Stamp Galop'' (London: Ewer & Co., 1863; also Boston, 1864). *''Beethoven-Waltz'' (London: Ewer & Co., 1863). *''Seven National Airs'' (London: Ewer & Co., 1864). *''Il fiore'', Minuetto in B flat, Op. 11 (London: Lamborn, Cock, Hutchings & Co., 1862). *''Chant des sirènes'', Morceau de Concert (London, Ewer & Co., 1863). *''Pastorale'', Op. 13 (London: Ewer & Co., 1864). *''Kate of Aberdeen'' (London: Ewer & Co., 1864). *''Conte mauresque'', Op. 14 (London: Ewer & Co., 1864). *''The Ducal Waltz'' (London, 1864). *''The Firemen's Galop'' (London: Ewer & Co., 1865). *''L'Adieu'', Chanson allemande (London, Ewer & Co., 1865). *''L'Adieu du conscrit'' (London, Ewer & Co., 1866). *''Wayside Sketches'', Op. 23 London: Novello, Ewer & Co., 1908). Contains: 1. ''Waving Ferns'', 1870; 2. n E major, 1871, missing 3. in E flat major, no title, 1872; 4. in B flat major, 1875; 5. ''Les Pèlerins''. *''Thema in c-moll mit Variationen'' (Leipzig: Kistner, 1881). *''Toccata in F major'' (London: Novello, Ewer & Co., 1883). *''Scherzetto in G major'' (London: Novello, Ewer & Co., 1887). *''Barcarolle'' (London: Bosworth & Co., 1905). *''Valse heureuse'' (London: Augener, 1905). *''Scène rustique'' (London: Augener, 1907). *''Twilight Shadows'', Nocturne (London: Novello & Co., 1909). Songs *''Nacht'' (4 songs, words by Joseph von Eichendorff) (Leipzig: Kistner, 1854). *''Stars of the Summer Night'' ( Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) (London: Leader & Cock, 1854). *''Six Songs'', Op. 6 (London: Leader & Cock, 1861). Contains: ''I Dream of Thee'' (
Barry Cornwall Bryan Waller Procter (pseud. Barry Cornwall) (21 November 17875 October 1874) was an English poet who served as a Commissioner in Lunacy. Life and career Born at Leeds, Yorkshire, he was educated at Harrow School, where he had for contemporarie ...
), ''Ask Me Not'' (
Barry Cornwall Bryan Waller Procter (pseud. Barry Cornwall) (21 November 17875 October 1874) was an English poet who served as a Commissioner in Lunacy. Life and career Born at Leeds, Yorkshire, he was educated at Harrow School, where he had for contemporarie ...
), ''The Return'' ( Robert Southey), ''Spring'', ''Silent Evening'', ''The West Wind'' (W.C. Bryant)'. *''Kate of Aberdeen'' (London: Ewer & Co., 1864). *''Listening'' (
Adelaide A. Procter Adelaide Anne Procter (30 October 1825 – 2 February 1864) was an English poet and philanthropist. Her literary career began when she was a teenager, her poems appearing in Charles Dickens's periodicals ''Household Words'' and '' All the ...
) (London: Novello, Ewer & Co., 1868). *''The Maiden's Suspense'' (W. Dulcken) (London, 1870). *''The Tree's Early Leaflets'' (transl. from Björnsen) (London: Lamborn, Cock & Co., 1870). *''For Rosabelle'' (London: Lamborn, Cock & Co., 18719. Church music *''Mass of St John'' for chorus and organ (London: Burns, Oates & Co., 1869). *''Mass for Two Voice Parts and Organ'' (London: Novello & Co., 1903). *''Regina Coeli'', A Marian Antiphon in 4 parts (London: Cary and Co., No. 715 (before 1898)


Recordings

*''Arthur O'Leary: Piano Music from the Victorian Age'', performed by Anthony Byrne (piano), GDD 001 (CD, 2002). Contains (in this order): ''Scène rustique'', ''Twilight Shadows (Nocturne)'', ''Waving Ferns op. 23/1'', ''Barcarolle'', ''Fleurs et pleurs'' op. 9, ''Pastorale'' op. 13, ''Minuet in B flat'' op. 11, ''Fête rustique'' op. 8, ''Les Pèlerins'' op. 23/5, ''Zwei Clavierstücke'' op. 2, ''Rondo grazioso'' op. 1, ''Valse heureuse''.Reviewed by Martin Cotton, in: ''BBC Music Magazine'' 11, September 2002, p. 82. *''Fallen Leaves from an Irish Album'', performed by Una Hunt (piano)
RTÉ Lyric fm CD 109
(CD, 2006). Contains: ''Valse heureuse''.


Bibliography

*Arthur O'Leary: ''Memories of Student Life in Germany'' (London: C. Jaques & Son, 1913). *Bob Fitzsimons: ''Arthur O'Leary, Composer'' (Tralee: Samhlaíocht Chiarraí, 1998), . *Bob Fitzsimons: ''Arthur O'Leary & Arthur Sullivan. Musical Journeys from Kerry to the Heart of Victorian England'' (Tralee: Doghouse, 2008), . Reviewed by Raymond Deane in th
''Journal of Music'' (January 2009)


References


External links

*Arthur O'Leary scores at th
Levy Sheet Music Collection
*Arthur O'Leary's entry in th
''Dictionary of Composers for the Church in Great Britain and Ireland''
(1997) {{DEFAULTSORT:Oleary, Arthur 1834 births 1919 deaths 19th-century classical composers 19th-century Irish people Academics of the Royal Academy of Music Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Composers for piano Irish classical composers Irish songwriters Musicians from County Kerry People from Tralee Romantic composers